Parachute.



E. R. QALTHROR PARACHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18. 1915.

lmwted Nova 20, 1917.

Fnal.

E. R. CALTHROP.

PABACHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1915.

1 $546,874. Fatented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 56.8. F1033 F1610. F1611.

y g 7 .Wnrenlor l iiomqy EVERARD EICHAED CALTHROP,- OF LONDON, ENGLA.

PARACHUTE.

Specification of Eetters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2%; 931 '2 a.

Application filed October 18, 1915. Serial No. 56,635.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Evnnann RICHARD OALTIIROP, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Parachutes, or" which the following is a spec ilication.

My invention has reference to parachutes more particularly such as are intended for use with military or naval air craft Where economy of space and the dispensing with all unnecessary Weight are matters of the greatest importance.

Among the many reasons which have heretofore precluded the employment of ordinary parachutes on air craft for lite saving purposes is the danger of the parachute failing to open; the very considerable fall which must be allowed for before the parachute can commence to open or in other words to allow sufiicient margin of fall to meet the uncertainties of opening; and the great amount of space occupied for it will be obvious that it held in such a position as to be instantly available the resistance to the wind will be excessive and flogging and entanglement of the cords in an air current will result.

In the use of the ordinary parachute the apex of the cover is held by a releasing device attached to the cordage of the gas bag of the balloon. lhe cover and cords of the parachute hang down and the sling for the aviator is attached to the car. When the descent is to be made the passenger carefully lowers himself into the sling and after'seating himself and seeing that all is right pulls a cord which releases the attachment overhead and the parachute and its passenger falls.

Held in this manner by the apex the pull of the weight of the aviator transmitted through the cords gathers the cover of the parachute together into a compact mass and when it drops the gussets of the. cover are necessarily all in close contact with each other.

It is usual to provide parachutes with a hole through the top of the cover with a view to preventing or at least minimizing oscillation during descent and it will be apparent that as the parachute falls the rush and traction of the air past the hole in the top produces a sensible vacuum within the cover of the parachute with a tendency to suck the gussets together throughout their whole length. in all cases there is a struggle between the vacuum with its closing action at the top and the endeavor or" the air to open the mouth of the parachute at the bottom and when it happens that the frillings of the gussets at the mouth of the parachute are sucked together by the internal vacuum or are all closed by external air pressure the parachute fails to open and the aviator falls to his death.

While the actual launching of a parachute from a free balloon is a comparatively easy matter as the balloon travels at the same speed as the air current and relatively to the balloon the air is completely undisturbed the same conditions do not obtain in the case of a captive balloon airship or aeroplane.

Except on the occasion of a dead calm in the case of a captive balloon and the very rare coincidence of a momentary synchronization of the speed of an airship or aeroplane with the speed of an air current when traveling in the same direction any attempt to launch an ordinary parachute results in its being dragged through the air and then all kinds of difiiculties and dangers are liable to arise. The main damage and difliculty which has altogether precluded the use of parachutes in such circumstances is the flogging together and hopeless entanglement of the parachute cords.

Now the objects of my present invention are to provide a parachute which may be instantly launched with a passenger from any description of air craft with the absolute certainty of rapid and positive opening in all circumstances; to provide means whereby the risk of any part of the rigging becoming entangled or fouled is entirely eliminated and to provide a parachute which with its associated parts may be normally contained in a small space, present small resistance to the air and at'the same time be instantly available for use in an emergency without any preparation. and to provide means whereby the operations of launching and opening shall take place automatically immediately the weight of the aviator is exer'ted upon the sling of the parachute.

With these and such other objects in view as may hereinafter appear or are incidental thereto my invention in its broadest aspect may be said to contemplate a construction wherein means are provided for obtaining kinetic control of all the functions of the parachute so that its parts shall act only in ordered sequence and in predetermined.

paths to the end of insuring absolute reliability of action in all circumstances.

More specifically considered my invention consists in the provision of means for supporting and retaining the parachute body in symmetric folds or plaits in such a manner that as the Weight of the load is exerted through the guy ropes upon the periphery said folds or plaits shall be successively re leased from the periphery toward the center.

Still more narrowly regarded my invention consists in the provision of a support for the parachute body its guy ropes and trapeze sling or harness so disposed that the parachute body may be laid in symmetric folds or plaits on, within, or around said support, the arrangement being such that when weight is exerted upon the trapeze sling or harness such weight shall first be taken up by the guy ropes and then transferred through them to the peripheral fold or plait of the parachute cover thereby freeing itfrom its support the remaining folds from the periphery to the center being then successively freed from the support and the parachute and its load automatically released to allow it to descend with its load safely to the ground.

It should be noted that wherever I refer for convenience to guy ropes I intend this expression to embrace tapes as I have found that flat tapes or webbing of suitable material is preferable in practice as risk of twisting and tangling is positively prevented.

In order that my invention may be readily understood and carried into effect by those skilled in the art to which it appertains I will now proceed to describe the same fully for which purpose reference is to be had-to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a'section of a device embodying my invention showing the parachute in position and ready for release.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the lower cover hereinafter more particularly referred to the left hand half of the figure illustrating the arrangement of the tapes constituting the rigging of the parachute while the right hand portion shows the manner in which the cover is marked to facilitate the arrangement and fixing of said tape rigging in position thereon.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the means employed for connecting the tape rigging with the parachute.

Figs. 4 to 13 are diagrams illustrating the action of the parachute in use.

Referring now to Fig. 1 A indicates an annular frame to which is positively secured a disk B which in the construction here shown is in the form of an obtuse angled cone. The frame A is formed with a depending conical flange C and also has sccured to it a handle D whereby the device as a whole may be slung from an air craft in the desired position either centrally by the aperture (1 or from two points I), c to prevent swiveling.

The device so far described comprises therefore the central annular frame A and the disk B which combined form what for convenience in description I will term the launching disk as it is from this disk that the parachute is launched by the weight of its passenger as will hereinafter appear.

The annular frame A is provided with an inwardly projecting flange E adapted to be engaged by the rubber washers F and G carried by the bolt H whereby the member I to which the sling trapeze or aviators har ness of the parachute is attached may be detachably connected with said launching disk. The bolt H also supports the main tape retaining member or center piece J to which the main tapes K-which form the equivalent of the usual guy ropesare positively secured by means of the hook bolts L adapted to engage the buckle loops or equivalent members M carried by each of the aforesaid main tapes K. Clamped to the top of the disk B by means of the annular frame A is a cover N of appropriate waterproof material provided with an annular flap O at the periphery the edge of the cover N and said flap O forming a housing between which is located the edge of the lower waterproof cover P which is clamped to the center bolt H. These covers are proridezl with rubber rings R at the edges and serve when in the position shown in Fig. 1 to completely inclose and protect the parachute and its rigging and the launching disk. The lower cover P also performs a further and extremely important function namely to support and retain the rigging tapes arranged in packs as will presently be explained in proper spaced relation without risk of entanglement and in such a manner that they shall act only in ordered sequence and in predetermined manner.

The various operations of packing and preparing the parachute for launching will.

now be explained: The parachute hody S is as is usual in most parachutes provided with an aperture in the center or apex in order that the stream of compressed air passing through it may act as a universal rudder to prevent oscillation of the parachute body and this aperture is utilized in my invention aS a means of connecting the apex of the parachute with the launching disk. For this purpose said aperture is edged with a rubber cord or ring T which is passed over the flange C thereby detachahly securing said parachute thereto. The parachute body S is now laid along the underside of the disk B and over its edge as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1 and after bein radially plaited is laid in concentric olds on the u per surface of the launching disk each fold being tem orarily secured in place by tying a thread around it. When the whole of the body is thus stowed on the launching disk the periphery thereof is brought over the edge ofv the launching disk with the eyelets V in position for t e attachment of the tapes constitutin the rigging the articular construction an disposition of w ich is a feature of the greatest importance and will therefore now be described in detail.

It will be seen on reference to Fig. 13 that the rigging of the parachute comprises the main tapes K and the forked tapes W serving to connect said main tapes K with the parachute body S and which for convenience of description I will term the doublet tapes. Both the main and the doublet tapes are made into packs and the manner in which this is effected will be seen by referrin to Fig. 2. The cover P with the center olt H, member J and washers F and G is supported preferably on a suitable frame in a convenient position and the tapes constituting the rigging arranged thereon in the following manner it being first premised that in order to obviate any mistakes in the arrangement of said tapes the cover P is marked with numbered and colored divisions corresponding with the several tapes which are also numbered.

The right hand portion of Fig. 2 illustrates a portion of the cover P before the tapes are arranged thereon said cover being provided with numbered spaces upon which the numbered tapes are laid. One end of each of the main tapes K is secured to the member J by means of the buckles M carried thereby being engaged with one of the hook bolts L the upturned edge of said member J being as shown in Fig. 2 provided with recesses n in which the buckles M engage so retaining them securely in position.

Each main tape K is now laid in a plurality of laps one on the other to form a pack the opposite end of each tape terminating in a buckle Y to which its corresponding doublet tape is secured a stout rubher ring Z being passed around the pack thus formed so holding the laps together. In order to retain the pack of tape thus formed upon the cover P and to prevent it shifting said cover is provided with buttons d and a light rubber band e is placed around the pack and engaged with the button (Z thereby holding said pack in position.

The doublet tapes W attached to the buckle Y are now also laid in laps one on the other to form a pack a suitable rubber ring f being employed to hold the laps together and sa1dpacks are retained in position upon the cover P by the rubber bands e and buttons (1.

Considering one main tape and pne doublet tape as constituting a unit 1t W111 be observed that the terminals of the main ta e I pack lie in opposite directions while t e terminals of the doublet tape pack are at the same end of the pack. he ap arently slight difierence in the lapping of t e tapes is however of the greatest importance and the reason of this arrangement will be fully explained when the operation of my improved device is hereinafter considered.

The parachute having as above stated been snugly stowed upon and supported by. the launching disk the package thus constituted and contained within the upper cover N is now placed upon the lower cover P on which the rigging tapes are arranged and fastened as described the rubber washers F and G engaging the flange E on the frame A thus detachably connecting the cover P and centerpiece with the frame A. The hook 9 carried by the doublet tapes W are now engaged with their respective eyelets V on the periphery of the parachute body each eyelet being preferably numbered to correspond with the numbered tapes. The connection between the doublet tapes and the parachute body is preferably effected by the S shaped book 9 having a rubber sleeve 72. which when the connection is made is slipped over the book as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 thereby eifectually preventing the accidental disconnection of the hooks with the parachute or tapes.

All connections having been made in the manner above described the flap O is turned back and the ed e of the cover N pulled down over the e ge of the-launching disk then the edge of the lower cover P is pulled up over the edge of the cover N and the cover P pulled down over the edge of the lower cover P the overlapping of the covers thus completely inclosing all the operative parts and making an airproof and waterproof joint.

The sling trapeze or harness for the passenger is now attached to the member I and the whole device suspended by the handle D I in a convenient position from the airship or aeroplane ready for instant use.

The central aperture in the frame A is preferably normally covered by a cover 11 to prevent the admission or escape of air to or from the interior of the parachute body during its opening and I may utilize the space inclos'ed by said cover as a receptacle for printed instructions for the use of the parachute and launching apparatus.

1 will now describe the action of my improved parachute which in the diagram matic View Fig. 5 is shown as being slung from an airship and the passenger about to jump therefrom. As the passenger seats himself in the sling or trapeze is his weight will first cause the rubber washers F G at the top of the bolt H to be disengaged from the flange E of the frame A. Simultaneously the bottom cover P with its center piece will be detached and the main tape packs K thrown into tension. Owing to the manner in which these tapes are lappednamely with their terminals in opposite directions-the rubber rings Z cause the unlapping of the tapes K to be accompanied by continuous friction and resistance which not only operates to retard to some extent the speed or fall of the passenger but keeps the tapes so taut that they do not touch one another notwithstanding their close proximity. A further and most important advantage of this arrangement is that all possibility of the tapes becoming entangled even when the parachute is being dragged against the fiercest gale is entirely obviated.

Fig. 6 illustrates the position of the parts at the moment the passenger throws himself from the airship and as he continues his fall the main tapes K become fully extended as shown in Fig. 7. 'Now it is necessary at this juncture in the sequence of operations that the doublet tapes should all be thrown into tension simultaneously but not before the main tapes K are extended to their full length. To this end the buckles Y carried by the end of the main tapes and. to which the doublet tapes are also attachcd are connected ,by readily rupturable connections such as rubber bands Z which in turn are connected by cords m to the flange C of the frame A.

Now it will be seen that with this arrangement when the main tapes are fully extended the whole of the weight of the passenger will be exerted upon the rubber bands Z which will thereby be instantly snapped but the snapping is de-synchronized by the cords m being of different lengths and after the shock is thus modulated the weight becomes transferred to the pack of doublet tapes. Said doublet tapes are as above stated so lapped that their terminals are at the same end of the pack an arrangement which produces a curiously different esult to the method of packing the main apes. Immediately the terminals of the doublet tapes are put in tension the rubber ring f is frictionlessly thrown off and the whole pack instantly released as shown in Fig. 8. Subsequently the parts arrive at the position shown in Fig. 9 and it will be observed that both the main and the doublet tapes are fully extended before any pull commences on the cover of the parachute which issuing from the launching disk with but little friction presents hardly any resistance to the pull of the doublet tapes and if means were not provided for fully releasing the doublet tapes before the effort was exerted on the peripheral fold of the parachute there would be considerable risk of a one-sided pull being exerted which might give rise to dangerous contingencies. On the pull being exerted on the periphery of the parachute each fold is successively and in ordered sequence brought over the edge of the launching disk until the pull on the body is exerted on the rubber ring T engaging the flange C which ring then expands allowing the center portion of the parachute body to slip away whereupon the last contact of the parachute ceases which is thus completely launched containing within its body a cylindrical column of air of approximately the diameter of the launching disk and extended from the mouth to the apex as shown in Fig. 11.

The automatic opening of the parachute will be understood by reference to Fig. 12

as it will be seen therefrom that by the.

snatch of the fall of the passenger the entrapped and compressed cylindrical column of air is immediately converted into a bun shaped cushion extending laterally to theperiphery and as this air cushion augmented by its increasing internal pressure due to the fall of the parachute and the increase of the area of the opening of the mouth thereof extends laterally said parachute mouthis pushed out against the resistance of the tapes supporting the weight of the passenger.

As the pressure of air within the cover is from the commencement of the pull increas-- ingly greater than that of the surrounding air absolute security in operating is at all times insured.

To prevent unauthorized tampering with the parachute and its rigging assembled in the manner hereinbefore described and to insure that an aviator shall have a guarantee that the device has not been interfered with I contemplate the employment of suitable means for sealing the upper cover N and lower cover P together such as by providing said covers with tabs adapted to be connected by an easily ruptured connection and an appropriate seal. The nut carried at the head of the bolt H may also be appropriately sealed for a like purpose.

In the foregoing description I have particularized the construction of a parachute launching device which from numerous trials under actual working conditions has been found to operate with great precision and certainty in all circumstances but various modifications may be made without in any way departing from the principle of the invention.

While I have as above stated described in the foregoing specification the construction of parts and operations preferred it is to be understood that numerous changes of construction and o eration may be made without departing rom the spirit and scope of the invention and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting the scope of my claims by the positive terms employed in connection with the description.

What I claim is:

1. In a parachute, the combination with a parachute body radially plaited and laid in concentric folds, of a launching disk for supporting said body in said symmetrical folds and plaits, a riggingcomprising tapes arranged in packs, means for supporting said rigging in said packs and means for releasing said parachute body and rigging 1frofin said supports on the application of the 2. In a parachute, the combination with a parachute body radially plaited and laid in concentric folds, of a launching disk for supporting said body normally in said symmetrical folds and plaits,'a rigging comprising main and doublet tapes arranged in packs, means for supporting said rigging in said packs, and means whereby as the weight of the load is exerted said tapes will be first extended and the folds and plaits of the parachute body successively released in ordered sequence from the periphery toward the center and means for freeing the said body from its support.

3. In a parachute the combination with a parachute body radially plaited and laid in concentric folds, of a launching disk for supporting said body normally in said sym- -metrical folds and plaits, a rigging comprising tapes arranged in packs, means for supporting said rigging in said packs, means for attaching said tapes to the peripheral fold of said parachute body, means whereby upon the application of the load said tapes will be first extended, then the weight of the load exerted upon the peripheral fold of the parachute body, freeing said fold and successively the remaining folds and plaits of the said body in ordered sequence from the periphery to the center to inclose a column of air and means for automatically releasing said parachute body and load from the said launching disk.

4. A parachute and means for supporting same in symmetric folds and plaits, a rigging for said parachute composed of tapes arranged in packs, a support for said rigging, a center piece detachably connected to said parachute supporting means, the ends of the aforesaid packs and the support therefor being secured to said center piece and an envelop to inclose the parachute and associated parts.

5. A support for a parachute and means for retaining said parachute in symmetric folds or plaits thereon or therein, a support for the rigging of said parachute and its trapeze or the like, means for connecting said rigging with said parachute and means for detachably connecting said supports substantially as described.

6. A launching apparatus for a parachute comprising a launching disk adapted to support the parachute bodv in symmetric folds or plaits, a center piece adapted to be detachably connected Withsaid disk, a support for the rigging of the parachute connected to said center piece and an airtight and waterproof envelop to inclose the parachute and its operative parts substantially as described.

7. In a parachute the provision of a rigging composed of main tapes and doublet tapes so lapped together as to form packs the main tape packs having means whereby when they are thrown into tension the unlapping thereof is accompanied by continuous friction and resistance while the doublet tape packs when thrown into tension are instantaneously released substantially as described.

8. In a parachute launching device a support for the parachute body and means for detachably connecting said parachute body thereto, a rigging composed of tapes arranged in packs, a two part envelop for inclosing said parachute body and launching device, one portion of said envelop forming a support for the packed rigging, and means for temporarily holding said rigging in position on said support.

EVERARD RICHARD CALTHROP. 

